Magnetic
by December Chocolat
Summary: Marriage hadn't been on his mind when he entered the Kuchiki kingdom. Until, of course, he meets Kuchiki Rukia.


This is just a little something I wrote on a whim. Enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach

At a glance, he mistook her for a child. She was incredibly small; her stature short, her frame narrow. But her posture was proud, and she carried an aura of power. Her bare arms, although thin, did not fool him; it was no secret that she could wield weapons better than any soldier. Her dark hair wavered around her collarbone and framed her pale, oval face. Her eyes were striking. Dark violet in color, they were unreadable, much like a layer of calm ice over turbulent sea waters. Pink lips were pressed firmly together as she analyzed his appearance.

He had mistaken her for a child standing in vast throne room. He would not make that mistake again. She was not a child; her eyes had the calculative nature of a brilliant war tactician. There was no tiara sitting atop of her head, but that did not change much. She was still the ruling monarch of the Kuchiki kingdom, crown or not.

"Kuchiki Rukia." He said, after a moment's silence. He was not the type of person to use titles, and he assumed that she wasn't either.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." She replied evenly. His assumptions were correct.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. Perhaps it was because they were in similar situations and pitied one another, he wouldn't know. They were both young ones whose loved ones had died. They were both generals who demolished their enemies to dust in a fit of rage. They were both monarchs left with the crumbling ruins of a kingdom, with so many hopes burdened on their inexperienced shoulders.

"Congratulations on your victory." He said finally.

"Thank you." She said. Her eyes wandered out the window, where the ruins of her kingdom lay. Was it a victory?

They stood in the white marble expanse of her throne room, only a few feet apart. There were two thrones behind her, one for her brother and one for her.

"I'm planning to remove the other throne." She said, noticing his stare. "The Kuchiki kingdom will have one ruler from now on, there's no need for two thrones."

Although her tone was level, he detected a faint strain when she said the word "one". She had once been the co-ruler of the Kuchiki kingdom, with her brother, just like how he had co-ruled his kingdom with his father.

Her fingers were clasped in front of her. The mauve dress she was wearing was knee-length, the hem being too long for her to play with. He was reminded of her age; she was four years his junior. Only twenty years old. When he was her age, he had been spending his days sparring and cramming for tests. The thought of a twenty year old left to clean up a ruined kingdom with her small hands troubled him.

"There's no need." He said, before rationality could seize him.

She looked at him with mild curiosity.

"To get rid of the other throne, I mean." He elaborated.

Quick as lightning, her eyes flashed with dark fury. "Are you implying that I should leave my brother's throne here? Leave a memento of who I've lost? You son of a—"

"No." Ichigo's intense gaze held onto hers, stopping her in mid-sentence. "But if you marry me, I could occupy that throne beside you."

He grinned at her. "How about it, Kuchiki Rukia?"

She was taken aback by how much a person's appearance could change with something as simple as a smile. She was also stunned by the sheer insanity that the man displayed. Did all Kurosaki kingdom leaders have a screw loose in their heads?

The troop of advisers and generals he had come with would have a field day with his proposal. He had come to establish an alliance with the Kuchiki kingdom, not to ask the monarch's hand in marriage. But seeing the small girl standing alone bothered him, hands clasped to stop them from shaking and posture straight to mask her fear.

He was never one to be agreeable to a Kuchiki; they were a bunch of snobby aristocrats, like Kuchiki Byakuya. But this one, Kuchiki Rukia, was different. He had always followed his instincts, and they were always right.

This time, they were telling him that gambling on Kuchiki Rukia wouldn't be such a bad idea.

...

A penny for your thoughts?


End file.
